Dredging or excavating machine



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

7 H. E. HAWK.

'DREDG ING 0R BXGAVATING MACHINE.

No. 287,763. Patented Oct. 30, 18 83.

n versus. Plwta-Ldhogr-Mmn Washington. uc.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Ro Model.)

- H. E. HAWK.

DREDGING 0R EXGAVATING MACHINE. No. 287,763. Patent edDct. 30, 1883.

Fig. 2.

rrnr) STATES PATENT met.

DREDGING oR EXGAVATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 287,763, dated October so, 1883.

7 Application filed January 23, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern? Be it known that I, HALE E. HAWK, of Kansas City. in thecounty of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dredging and Excavating Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side View of the bucket, showing the devices for operating the cleaner. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the bucket. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of bucket-carrier and trussframes. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the rotary belt-conveyer. Fig. 7 is a detail .view of the attachment holding the material-conveyer to the shaft. k

The object of my invention is to construct a dredging and excavating machine which shall be capable, upon land or in submarine operations, of performing a great range of work, and in its mode of operation is designed to reach material at various angles with great rapidity and economy of labor, and at the same time to be wholly under control of one person from one given point upon the machine or carriage. I

In the drawings, A represents a platform rotating upon a track upon a boat or carriage.

B represents a bridge-frame bolted to and supported by the platform A, and having pillow-block (land box a, on which rests the oscillating truss-frame of the excavatingmachine. V t

D is a timber bolted to bridge-frame B, on which main cross-line-shaft b is supported.

E is theoscillatin g truss-frame, having girders c 0, making part of the frame-work.

F is the sliding carriage for raising and lowerin g the bucket-carrier frame, extending part way within the truss-frame, and upon which driving-shaft d is journaled.

G G are guides on the truss-frame E, on which the sliding carriage F rests, and by means of gibs e e on said carriagea sliding movement along the truss-frame is permitted.

H is a timberon the inner side of the trussframe E, to receive a track, 2'.

Z Z are a series of wheels on main beams K K, which rest on tracks 2' t on timber H, and support the lower part of the bucket-carrier frame.

L L are rectangular wheels placed at opposite ends of the excavator on shafts d and m, by which they are rotated, and receive the connecting-links w w, for operating the chain of buckets.

N N are the excavator-buckets, having sides I o a, (see Fig. 3,) face 19, and swinging back a".

s is a stop on the bucket, being a continuation of face 12.

t is a tripping-lever pivoted at a upon the side 0 of the'bucket N, and connected by pitman u to crank 11 for operating the swinging back of the excavatorbucket.

. d is a flange formed by extending the sides of the bucket past the ends. w w are a series of connecting-links on the chain of buckets, which are secured to said buckets at y, and" also to the shaft 00, which latter receives the travelers, n. v P P are extended arms forming part of and describing an oblique angle with carriage frame F, and provided with brace-arm q and upsetting-arms R.

Attached to the upper end of the guides G is a flanged wheel, S, and shaft 2.

T is a drum on shaft 2 between guides G G on the truss-frame. k is a sheave on carriage frame F. (See Fig. 2.) V

V and W are transmitting-arms carrying counter-shaft S, and attached to shafts b and d on the bridge-frame and sliding carriageframe, respectively. 3

. Z is a wire rope fastened at the upper end i of guides G G, whence it passes through sheave k on the sliding carriage F, and thence around 100.

e" is awire rope running from flanged wheel S, to which it is fastened, to sheave f on the bridge-frame, and thence to drum g.on tim I her D of the bridge-frame, to which it is also fastened.

h h are belts on pulleys m andY, communicating motion to shaft S.

11 t are belts running from drum 1' on shaft S to pulley 0 on shaft d.

B is a guide-bar pivoted upon the rotary platform A, and slotted longitudinally to receive a guide-pin, t, on the truss-frame E.

O is a drum on shaft 10, supported by timber D of the bridge-frame B.

a is a wire rope fastened to truss-frame E at m, and running over sheave W on the upper end of guide-bar B, thence around drum 0 on the bridge-frame, thence to m on the truss-framethe point of connection.

D D are rotary belt-conveyers, the upper one attached to sliding carriage F at one end by means of pendent arms g and shaft 01. c is a plate on shaft 11. p is a flanged cap fitting over plate 0 on shaft a (see detail View, Fig. 7 and supporting the belt-eonveyer in lateral and vertical movement.

71 is an endless belt on drums z 2, which runs over V-shaped pulleys 7 arranged within the conveyer. I) is a cleaner on the rotary belt-conveyer.

a a (see Fig. (3) are cant-boards in the conveyer.

v? is a lever for raising belt-tightener 0 against belt at, operating drum 0, and thereby elevating or depressing the machine.

k is a lever for raising belt-tightner p against belt a, operating drum 9, upon which rope c is fastened.

D is the main driving-shaft, connected with vertical shaft A by the ordinary bevel-gear.

E is a shaft for rotating the platform A, and is provided with pulleys s t and cog-whce1t.

F is a support upon the deck or carriage to receive the shaft E.

Z Z are reversing-levers operating to throw into connection open and cross bands on pulley s" and t on shaft E, which run upon similar pulleys on shaft D", and rotate the plat form A.

X is a bevel-gear on shaft 1), connected by a like gear with the vertical shaft A, for the transmission of motion to the working parts of the machine.

In the construction of the machine I use the ordinary rotating platform moving upon a suitable track upon a vessel or carriage, and upon which the bridge-frame B is built. Through the center of the rotary platform, and acting independently thereof, shaft A passes. The shaft A is provided with suitable bevelgear-actuating gear X, which latter gear is arranged upon main cross-line shaft Z), and shaft A is connected by similar gearing with the driving-shaft D from the engine. The framework B upon the platform is composed of timber D, on which main cross-line shaft 1) is supported, and pillow-block O, which latter is provided with box a to receive the journals arranged upon the truss-frame of the excavator.

SVithin the truss-frame E, and parallel in relation to the same, is arranged a separate sliding carriage,F,eXtending a suitable length within said frame, to support the shaft d, and moving along said frame in guides G G. The bucket-carrier frame I is also arranged to move in a parallel relation to and within the trussframe. The mainbeams K K of it are attached at their upper ends to the sliding carriage F, the lower ends of said beams having a series of wheels, Z Z,which move on tracks 1' t on timber H on the truss-frame, and by means of which mechanism the bucket-carrier frame is enabled to be extended beyond the truss-frame, and to such a depth as would be necessary to reach the material to be excavated. The sliding carriage is operated, in connection with the buck etcarrier frame, to which the latter is attached, in the direction of the length of said frame by a wire rope, I, which rope is secured to the upper end of the guides G G, and passes through sheave k on the sliding carriage, and thence to drum T on shaft 2 on said guides, to which it is fastened, and when the sliding carriage is released by rope I it moves downward by its own weight.

Located upon the sliding carriage, and also upon the extreme ends of the main beams K K of the bucket-carrier frame, respectively, are the shafts (Z and m, upon which shafts the rectangular wheels LL are placed. The wheels L L are operated by means of pulley 0, upon which is the band 1" 1', running to pulley a, and band h to pulley m, with the main crossline shaft of the machine.

The bucket-carrier frame I is composed of the cross-arms having curved ends 0', (see Fig. 5,) and rails f and beams K K, to which beams the arms 9 are bolted. The girders U are arranged to support the beams K K in a uniform relation to and within the truss-frame. The curved portions 0 of arms g are designed to permit the travelers upon the chain of buckets to pass eXteriorly to the said arms and to the bucket-carrier frame in their upward and interiorly in their downward movement on track-rails f.

In the construction of my excavator-buckets the sides 0 of the same are arranged to permit a face-plate, 1), to be riveted thereto and extend partly around the point of the bucket, thus forming a stop for swinging back 1'. The swinging plate 1* forms an independent back of the bucket, and is secured at b by casting g to a shaft, 0, which is arranged across the bucket. Then the bucket is in the act of filling, the material throws the swinging back 1 to the rear and against stop 8 on the bucket.

Forming part of the sides of the buckets 0 are flanges d d, which protect the tripping-levers in passing between the rectangular wheels L L on the shaft d on the sliding carriage, and also from contact with the material when excavating, and proj ect over and at right angles to the ends.

Actuating shaft 0 on the bucket are a series of levers t, u, and 1;, which act to throw automatically the swinging back r forward when said leversvt meet the upsetting-arms R on the sliding carriage, thus allowing back 1' to perform two officesfirst-, when filling and thrown back against the stop by the material, to act as the baok'of the bucket, and also as a cleanerfor removing the contents. In place of the pitman u and the connecting-levers, I may use a double bell-crank lever to accomplish the same purposes The endless chain oftbuckets have the links w w secured toeach other at 00 by a common bolt, and also to the bearings for travelers n a on the buckets, and to the buckets at Extended arms P P, forming part of the carriageframe I, extend obliquely downward therefrom, and support a cross-brace, q, obliquely above which one or more upsetting devices R R are secured, which meet the tripping levers t t on the buckets in their rotation on wheels L L, and thereby said bucket-bottoms are antomatically upset at the discharging-point.

' Two pendent arms, 9 g, secured rigidly to the sliding-carriage frame F, carry a horizontal shaft, n, upon which shaft a plate, 0, is fast ened, and provided with a movable flanged cap, 10. Upon the cap 1) the end of the rotary belt-conveyer rests and follows each relative movement of th frames. y

The rotary beit-conveyer D is composed of parallel sides, as ordinarily constructed, and is provided with two or more ordinary pulleys,

z 2, over which the belt hf is driven. A.

series of V-shaped pulleys, y, are located between and in line with pulley z within the conveyer. of a" (see Fig. 6) are cant-boards, under the edge of which the belt h" passes. Now, when the material is emptied from the excavator-buckets, it falls directly upon the belt, which accommodates itself to the inclines d d on the V-shaped pulleys, and conveys the materials to any. desired point. At the point where belt it passes over pulley z, I arrange a device, b'f, to clean said belt from the accumulation of the material, and operate the belt by means of a belt arranged upon shaft (2,: and also upon a shaft on pulley z on the conveyer. The movements of the trussframe in elevating and depressing the same are controlled by the guide-bar B, which I have constructedto carry the rope '0, which passes over the sheave W and around drum 0, thence to the point of connection at as on the truss-frame, by which the power from the main shaft may be communicated. In place of the latter arrangement I" may use arotary device uponthe truss-frame and suitable bevelgear; on the guide-bar, to accomplish the desired end. The transmitting-arms V and W, transmitting power from shaft 2) on the bridgeframe to shaft cl onthe sliding carriage, are suitably connected therewith in a vertical relation, and are connected together by the shaft S, which supports the counter-pulleys Y and r for receiving the belts h i. The transmitting-arms are so arranged that the free joint" e truss and carriage trolling-levers are arranged at one point on the vessel or carriage, whereby greater efficiency is attained in directing the various movements of the same. Thelevers Z Z operate by means of belt-tighteners arranged on the same to transmit motion through cross and loose belts on pulleys s and t, and similar pulleys on shaft D, to the shaft E, operating cog-wheel 2%, which engages with a toothed segment or rack on the rotating carriage or. platform. whereby the rotary movement of the platform upon its track is; attained while the operative parts of the machine are in full operation and controlled in independent or combined movement. The direction in which the material to be excavated lies being ascertained, and the excavator rotated upon its track to the desired point, lever '2'- is operated to throw belt tightener 0 against belt m", driving drum 0, operating rope c, which is secured at w on the truss-frame, by which the truss-frame is ele vated or depressed to such an angle as to permit the excavator-buckets to enter the material, the guide-bar B, carrying the rope '0, regulating .the movement and adapting itself by its longitudinal slot to thevarying angles of said frame.

In the operation of a rotary chain of excavator-buckets heretofore, said buckets have I been arranged to decrease leverage, and consequently the strain andpower required to operate the buckets. The object, however,

in the arrangement of my buckets is to pre-' vent the friction and adhesion of the buck ets to the material when entering the same, wherein the greatest amount of resistance to the rotation of the buckets is discovered, and which results from the entry of the whole front side of the bucket in the same curved plane. In the construction of my excavator-buckets, however, I form the fronts and backs in curves described from two opposite centers intersecting in one direction, 7

or at the point of the bucket, so that when said bucket enters the material it'presents only the cuttingedge of the bucket to the soil, thereby loosening the same by a prying movement, and filling the bucket more readily without contact of the front side, but only the edge, thus decreasing the powerordinarily required to rotate the chain.

.In connecting my buckets with the endless chain, I pivot said buckets between the centers of curvature andto the joints of the links in said chain, using thesame pivot ornot, as reand exit quired, the pivotal point being near the mouth of the bucket. This arrangement permits the cutting-edge of the bucket to be thrown be yond the rectangular wheel in excavating,

thus preventing the contact of any portion of the rotating parts of the bucket-carrier frame with the material. The buckets, which are constantly working upon the bucket-carrier frame in endless movement, are driven mediately by the bands h and i on pulleys r, 0, and m, enabling said buckets to reach the material by the extension of the bucket-carrier frame, this being accomplished by the ac tion of a brake on the platform A, which releases the drum 5 carrying rope c, which rope passes through sheave f on the trussframe to pulley S on the sliding carriage. At the same time rope Z, which is oppositely wound upon drum T, (which drum is fixed to and moves simultaneously with pulley 8,) is unwound through sheave 7c, the sliding-carriage and bucket-carrier frames moving along the truss-frame by their combined weight to the required distance. In the raising of the bucket-carrier and sliding-carriage frames 1ever k is operated to throw the belt-tightener 1) against belt a", setting in motion drum 9 and winding rope e, and through pulleys S and drum '1 the rope l, by means of which the result is attained. In the extension of the sliding carriage the transmitting-arms V and \V follow each longitudinal movement of said frame, and at the same time accommodate themselves to the oscillations of the trussframe.

Having fully described my invention, what I new claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. I11 combination with an oscillating trussframe in an excavating or dredging machine, and a sliding carriage arranged in suitable guides within said frame, a bucketcarrier frame attached to said carriage and moving upon a suitable trackway within the trussframe, and adapted to be extended beyond and in a corresponding direction with said frame, as described.

2. In combination with an oscillating frame of an excavating and dredging machine, alongitudinally-slotted guide-bar pivoted at its lower end to the supporting-carriage, and a pin attached to said oscillating frame and arranged to play in the slot in the guide-bar, as shown and described.

3. In combination with an oscillating frame of an excavating and dredging machine, alongitudinally-slotted' guide-bar pivoted at its lower end to the supporting-carriage, and hav ing a pin arranged to play in the slot in said arms being arranged at an inclination toward each other from their point of attachment to said beams, as shown and described.

5. An excavator-bucket provided with ends which are constructed in a plane described from two opposite points of curvature intersectingin one direction or at the point of the 1 bucket, and having suitable sides conforming to said ends, for the purpose specified.

6. In combination with the bucket-carrier frame of an excavating and dredging machine, provided with oppositely arranged wheels and an endless linked chain upon said wheels, an excavating-bucket of the form of meeting curves, as described, pivoted longitudinally to said chain between the centers of curvature and at the gravitating-p-oint of the bucket, for the purpose specified.

7. An excavator-bucket provided with a shaft for the operation of a cleaner therein, and operating mechanism therefor outside the ends of the bucket, and aflange attached to the side of the bucket and extending a suitable distance beyond and at right angles to the ends of the same, for the purpose specified.

8. An excavator-bucket having a swinging back pivoted to the ends, and a tripping-lever attached to said pivot upon the exterior of the end ofthebucket, and providedwith one ormore jointed extensions of the same, which are pivoted to said bucket, for the purpose described.

9. In combination with a rotary supportin shaft located upon a dredging or excavating machine, and provided with a plate rigidly secured thereto, a material-conveyor having its pivotal end provided with a movable flanged cap engaging with the plate upon said shaft, for the purpose set forth.

10. In combinat-ionwith the sliding-carriage frame of an excavating and dredging machine, having depending supports attached to said frame, and a rotary supporting-shaft attached to said supports, aplate secured to said shaft, and provided with a movable flanged cap, which is adapted to fit over and engage with the plate on said shaft, and support the end of a material-conveyer, as shown and described.

11. In combination with an oscillating trussframe of an excavating and dredging machine, provided with a bucket-carrier frame which is arranged to slide in suitable guides upon said truss-frame, the transmitting-arms, attached,respectively,tothc driving-shaftupon the bridge frame and to the driving shaft upon the bucket-carrier frame, and having their opposite ends independently connected together by a suitable shaft, whereby their lateral extension shall be permitted in the elevation and depression of the machine, as shown and described.

12. In combination with an oscillating trussframe of an excavating and dredging machine, provided with a bucket-carrier frame which is arranged to slide in suitable guides upon said trussframe, the transmitting-arms,

ICC

attached, respectively, to the driving-shaft driving-shaft on the sliding-carriage frame,

uponthe bridge-frame and to thedriving-shaft upon the bucket-carrier frame, and having the opposite ends independently connected together by a suitable shaft, and a pulley attached to said shaft, the operating-belts connected with the pulley upon the driving-shaft on the bridge-frame of the machine and the and also with the pulley attached to the shaft on the independent ends of the transmittingarms, as shown and described.

13. In combination with a rotary platform in an excavating and dredging machine, which is adapted by suitable frame-work to support the truss and bucket-carrier frames, and the driving-shaft conveying power to and operating the said frames, the vertical shaft arranged centrally through and operating independently of the rotary platform, and provided with suitable bevel-gear which meshes with and 0pcrates the driving-shaft on the carriage-frame,

also with the engine, whereby the entire operation of the platform simultaneously with the machine may be effected in any direction, and in an independent relation to the machine, as specified. 7

HALE E. HAWK.

Witnesses:

L. B. BAILEY, V T. H. KENNEDY.

and a suitable shaft connected therewith, and 

